1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical polarizer and to equipment for manufacturing optical polarizers.
2. General Background
Liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are in widespread use in personal computers, desktop calculators, electronic clocks, word processors, automobiles, and other machines. Nearly all LCD devices include one or more polarizers, which function as filters with regard to the polarization of light.
A typical polarizer is shown in FIG. 3. The polarizer 1 includes a first protective layer 10, a polarizer base 11, a second protective layer 12, an adhesive layer 13, and a released layer release layer 14, arranged in that order from top to bottom.
When light beams irradiate the first protective layer 10 of the polarizer 1, some of the light beams are reflected, which results in a loss of light and a low rate of light utilization, whereby the brightness of an LCD device using the polarizer is reduced.
What is needed, therefore, is a polarizer with high rate of light utilization. What is also needed is equipment for manufacturing such a polarizer.